Surfactant therapy for acute respiratory distress in severe pediatric burn injury: a case series

After severe burn injury, pediatric patients often succumb to complications of respiratory failure. Surfactant has been used to improve pulmonary gas exchange for severe respiratory distress in other pediatric populations but has not been studied in pediatric burn-injured patients. Here, the authors report a case series of seven severely burned pediatric patients who received surfactant for acute respiratory distress and severe hypoxemia. Seven cases were reviewed of pediatric patients who received surfactant for severe acute respiratory distress. Data analyzed included age, TBSA burned, height, weight, mechanism of injury, total intensive care unit days, hospital days, and ventilator days. Modes of ventilation, peak inspiratory pressure, oxygen requirement, arterial blood gas analysis, blood pressure, and heart rate were analyzed before and the day following surfactant therapy. Four patients had reduced oxygen requirements following surfactant administration (FiO(2): 0.66 ± 0.23-0.48 ± 0.025). Three patients showed no reduction in oxygen requirements (FiO(2): 0.95 ± 0.09-0.90 ± 0.0). The remaining four patients who had reduced oxygen requirements received surfactant earlier following their injury (4.8 ± 0.9 days postinjury vs 17.7 ± 8 days postinjury) and had less derangement in oxygenation before surfactant dosing (PaO(2):FiO(2) ratio: 105.2 ± 26.4 vs 64.5 ± 5.2). Surfactant therapy may offer a therapeutic option during acute respiratory distress for severely burned pediatric patients. Surfactant may be useful early in the course of severe hypoxemia and acute respiratory distress but may not be effective as a salvage modality.     

Admission chest CT complements fiberoptic bronchoscopy in prediction of adverse outcomes in thermally injured patients

In burned patients, inhalation injury can result in progressive pulmonary dysfunction, infection, and death. Although bronchoscopy is the standard for diagnosis, it only assesses the proximal airway and does not provide a comprehensive analysis of pulmonary insult. Chest radiographs have not been proven helpful in diagnosis of inhalation injury. Our hypothesis is that a CT scan alone or in conjunction with bronchoscopy can be used as a prognostic tool for critically ill burn patients, especially those with inhalation injury. The authors performed a retrospective study of all patients admitted to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center between 2002 and 2008 with chest CT within 24 hours of admission. They divided subjects into two groups, those with evidence of inhalation injury on bronchoscopy and those without. They used a radiologist's score to assess the degree of damage to the pulmonary parenchyma. The primary endpoint was a composite of pneumonia, acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, and death. The inhalation injury group consisted of 25 patients and the noninhalation injury group of 19 patients. Groups were not different in age, TBSA burned, and percentage full-thickness burn. By multiple logistic regression, detection of inhalation injury on bronchoscopy was associated with an 8.3-fold increase in the composite endpoint. The combination of inhalation injury on bronchoscopy and a high radiologist's score was associated with a 12.7-fold increase in the incidence of the composite endpoint. Admission CT assists in predicting future lung dysfunction in burn patients.     

Aerosolized beta(2)-adrenergic agonists achieve therapeutic levels in the pulmonary edema fluid of ventilated patients with acute respiratory failure

OBJECTIVE: Experimental studies demonstrate that beta-adrenergic agonists markedly stimulate alveolar fluid clearance if concentrations of 10(-6) M are achieved in alveolar fluid. However, no studies have determined whether aerosolized beta-adrenergic agonists are delivered to the distal air spaces of the lung in therapeutic concentrations in patients with pulmonary edema. DESIGN AND SETTING: This retrospective study measured albuterol levels in the pulmonary edema fluid and plasma from mechanically ventilated patients with pulmonary edema from a hydrostatic mechanism ( n=10) or from acute lung injury ( n=12). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: After a total aerosolized albuterol dose of 4.2+/-3.2 mg in the prior 6 h the median pulmonary edema fluid albuterol level was 1,250 ng/ml (10(-6) M) in patients with hydrostatic pulmonary edema; after 3.5+/-2.6 mg the figure was 1,240 ng/ml (10(-6) M) in patients with pulmonary edema from acute lung injury. Plasma albuterol levels were much lower, with a median of 5.2 ng/ml (0.01 x 10(-6) M) in patients with hydrostatic pulmonary edema and 3.1 ng/ml (0.01 x 10(-6) M) in patients with pulmonary edema from acute lung injury. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide the first evidence that levels of beta-adrenergic agonists that are physiologically efficacious in experimental models can be achieved with conventional delivery systems in ventilated, critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure from pulmonary edema.     

Albumin and furosemide therapy in hypoproteinemic patients with acute lung injury

OBJECTIVE: Hypoproteinemia, fluid retention, and weight gain are associated with development of acute lung injury and mortality in critically ill patients, without proof of cause and effect. We designed a clinical trial to determine whether diuresis and colloid replacement in hypoproteinemic patients with acute lung injury would improve pulmonary physiology. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: All adult intensive care units from two university hospitals. PATIENTS: Thirty-seven mechanically-ventilated patients with acute lung injury and serum total protein 相似文献   

Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration in critically ill children with acute renal failure

Last year, five critically ill children with acute renal failure were treated by continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration. Mean treatment duration was 326 +/- 89 (SD)h, for a total of 1632 h. Mean ultrafiltration rates of 5.4 +/- 1.7 ml/min X m2 achieved mean serum urea levels of 150 +/- 25 mg/dl and a decline of mean prehemofiltration serum creatinine level of 3.5 +/- 3.6 to 2.9 +/- 2.0 mg/dl posthemofiltration. Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration allowed adequate parenteral nutrition with a mean caloric intake of 79.6 +/- 9.2 kcal/kg X day. In the four surviving patients, urinary output started between 12 and 42 days after the onset of acute renal failure. Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration is a very effective extracorporeal therapeutic system to control azotemia, fluid, and electrolyte balance in critically ill children with acute renal failure and hemodynamic instability.     

小儿急性低氧性呼吸衰竭呼吸支持相关预后差异及影响因素

目的 探讨26家医院小儿重症监护室(PICU)患者呼吸支持相关的预后之差异及影响因素.方法 多中心前瞻性临床协作研究,研究时间为2005年12月至2006年11月连续12个月,研究对象为29 d至15周岁的PICU患儿.患儿纳入后记录其基本情况、疾病诊断、治疗及预后等数据,汇总后分析不同PICU其患者预后及呼吸治疗的差异.结果 在研究期间,26家PICU共收治危重病例11521例,占PICU收治患者总数的70%,不同单位该比例从14%到98%.26家单位共纳入小儿低氧性呼吸衰竭(AHRF)病例461例,患病率4%,各单位AHRF患病率中位值4.7%(Qr:2.4%～7.1%).AHRF总病死率41.6%,26家PICU病死率中位值39.8%(四分位数间距22%～57%).AHRF病死率在大学附属医院低于非大学附属医院(37%vs.46%,x~2=4.16,P:0.04),经济发达地区低于欠发达地区医院(38%vs.46%,x~2=3.1,P=0.08).结论 我国不同地区及不同类别医院PICU危重病例及AHRF呼吸支持相关的预后存在较大差异.PICU所在医院的学术背景及地区经济发展水平是影响患者预后的两个重要原因.在开展提高PICU的呼吸支持治疗水平和AHRF生存率的干预性研究设计中应予考虑.     

儿童危重甲型H1N1流感合并急性呼吸窘迫综合征的临床特征与救治

目的 了解儿童危重甲型H1N1流感合并急性呼吸窘迫综合征(ARDS)的临床特点,探讨救治措施.方法 前瞻性观察上海交通大学附属儿童医院收治的3例危重甲型H1N1流感的临床表现、化验检查、诊断、治疗转归.结果 实时RCT-PCR检测3例患者均为甲型H1N1流感感染.以发热、咳嗽起病,全身性炎症反应相对轻.病程4～6 d病情突然恶化,出现口唇发绀,呼吸急促.X线片显示双肺多叶渗出或弥漫性炎症阴影.入院时已发展为ARDS.采用奥司他韦,小潮气量(6 mL/kg)、适当高PEEP通气策略和相对保守液体等治疗,3例患儿中存活2例,死亡1例.结论 儿童危重甲型H1N1流感患儿,突然咳嗽加重和呼吸急促时,应高度怀疑ARDS.及时氧疗及呼吸支持,保守液体管理,预防继发感染等可能是关键治疗措施.需要积累更多病例资料来明确危重甲型H1N1流感特征和评价救治手段.     

儿童危重甲型H1N1流感合并急性呼吸窘迫综合征的临床特征与救治

目的 了解儿童危重甲型H1N1流感合并急性呼吸窘迫综合征(ARDS)的临床特点,探讨救治措施.方法 前瞻性观察上海交通大学附属儿童医院收治的3例危重甲型H1N1流感的临床表现、化验检查、诊断、治疗转归.结果 实时RCT-PCR检测3例患者均为甲型H1N1流感感染.以发热、咳嗽起病,全身性炎症反应相对轻.病程4～6 d病情突然恶化,出现口唇发绀,呼吸急促.X线片显示双肺多叶渗出或弥漫性炎症阴影.入院时已发展为ARDS.采用奥司他韦,小潮气量(6 mL/kg)、适当高PEEP通气策略和相对保守液体等治疗,3例患儿中存活2例,死亡1例.结论 儿童危重甲型H1N1流感患儿,突然咳嗽加重和呼吸急促时,应高度怀疑ARDS.及时氧疗及呼吸支持,保守液体管理,预防继发感染等可能是关键治疗措施.需要积累更多病例资料来明确危重甲型H1N1流感特征和评价救治手段.     

儿童危重甲型H1N1流感合并急性呼吸窘迫综合征的临床特征与救治

目的 了解儿童危重甲型H1N1流感合并急性呼吸窘迫综合征(ARDS)的临床特点,探讨救治措施.方法 前瞻性观察上海交通大学附属儿童医院收治的3例危重甲型H1N1流感的临床表现、化验检查、诊断、治疗转归.结果 实时RCT-PCR检测3例患者均为甲型H1N1流感感染.以发热、咳嗽起病,全身性炎症反应相对轻.病程4～6 d病情突然恶化,出现口唇发绀,呼吸急促.X线片显示双肺多叶渗出或弥漫性炎症阴影.入院时已发展为ARDS.采用奥司他韦,小潮气量(6 mL/kg)、适当高PEEP通气策略和相对保守液体等治疗,3例患儿中存活2例,死亡1例.结论 儿童危重甲型H1N1流感患儿,突然咳嗽加重和呼吸急促时,应高度怀疑ARDS.及时氧疗及呼吸支持,保守液体管理,预防继发感染等可能是关键治疗措施.需要积累更多病例资料来明确危重甲型H1N1流感特征和评价救治手段.     

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment for COVID‐19 associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): A case series

A prothrombotic coagulopathy is commonly found in critically ill COVID‐19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A unique feature of COVID‐19 respiratory failure is a relatively preserved lung compliance and high Alveolar‐arterial oxygen gradient, with pathology reports consistently demonstrating diffuse pulmonary microthrombi on autopsy, all consistent with a vascular occlusive etiology of respiratory failure rather than the more classic findings of low‐compliance in ARDS. The COVID‐19 pandemic is overwhelming the world’s medical care capacity with unprecedented needs for mechanical ventilators and high rates of mortality once patients progress to needing mechanical ventilation, and in many environments including in parts of the United States the medical capacity is being exhausted. Fibrinolytic therapy has previously been used in a Phase 1 clinical trial that led to reduced mortality and marked improvements in oxygenation. Here we report a series of three patients with severe COVID‐19 respiratory failure who were treated with tissue plasminogen activator. All three patients had a temporally related improvement in their respiratory status, with one of them being a durable response.     

Noninvasive ventilation in acute respiratory failure

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive ventilation has assumed an important role in the management of respiratory failure in critical care units, but it must be used selectively depending on the patient's diagnosis and clinical characteristics. DATA: We review the strong evidence supporting the use of noninvasive ventilation for acute respiratory failure to prevent intubation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations or acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema, and in immunocompromised patients, as well as to facilitate extubation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who require initial intubation. Weaker evidence supports consideration of noninvasive ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with postoperative or postextubation respiratory failure; patients with acute respiratory failure due to asthma exacerbations, pneumonia, acute lung injury, or acute respiratory distress syndrome; during bronchoscopy; or as a means of preoxygenation before intubation in critically ill patients with severe hypoxemia. CONCLUSION: Noninvasive ventilation has assumed an important role in managing patients with acute respiratory failure. Patients should be monitored closely for signs of noninvasive ventilation failure and promptly intubated before a crisis develops. The application of noninvasive ventilation by a trained and experienced intensive care unit team, with careful patient selection, should optimize patient outcomes.     

Early clinical experience with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation for ARDS in adult burn patients

Lung protective ventilation strategies are recommended in acute respiratory distress syndrome to avoid ventilator associated lung injury, a recently characterized complication of mechanical ventilation. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is an unconventional ventilation strategy which may achieve this goal. We reviewed our experience with HFOV in six severely burned patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. The mean age (+/- SD) of the patients was 34 +/- 13 years, and the mean TBSA burn was 52 +/- 10%, with a mean full-thickness injury of 49 +/- 12%. HFOV was initiated as "rescue therapy" in three patients with oxygenation failure (mean PaO2/FIO2 ratio of 71 +/- 8 and mean oxygenation index [OI] of 42 +/- 3) that was unresponsive to conventional ventilation (mean FIO2, 1.0 +/- 0; mean positive end expiratory pressure, 14.8 +/- 2.8 cm H2O; and mean inhaled nitric oxide, 20 +/- 0 ppm). In the other three cases, HFOV was initiated "prophylactically" as a lung protective ventilation strategy in an attempt to prevent further respiratory deterioration. All six patients showed a rapid and substantial improvement in oxygenation after initiation of HFOV, with significant improvements in the PaO2/FIO2 and OI by 12 hours (P = 0.02). In four patients HFOV was also used during anesthesia and surgery, where a total of 10 procedures involving a mean excision and closure of 15 +/- 7% TBSA burns was performed. Five of the six patients died, but none died because of oxygenation failure. In three patients death resulted from sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome; their mean PaO2/FIO2 was 107 +/- 31 and their mean OI was 30 +/- 11 immediately before death. Two patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome died after withdrawal of life support; their mean PaO2/FIO2 and OI were 178 +/- 31 and 18 +/- 2 respectively, at the time of this decision. Although HFOV had no impact on mortality, it played a useful role in the supportive management of burn patients with severe oxygenation failure unresponsive to conventional ventilation. Importantly, HFOV allowed surgery to proceed in patients who may have otherwise been too unstable to go to the operating room. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of the use of intraoperative HFOV in burn patients.     

The combined therapy of a traditional Chinese medicine formula and Western medicine for a critically ill case infected with COVID-19

ObjectivePresentation of a case illustrating the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in critically ill patients.Clinical features and outcomeA 58-year-old woman presented with cough, fever, dizziness, chest tightness, polypnea and poor appetite. She was admitted to Guizhou Provincial People’s hospital, and diagnosed with critically ill type of COVID-19 in February 2020. According to the patient's symptoms and signs, the TCM syndrome differentiation was qi deficiency, dampness-stasis and toxin accumulation. Then she received the combined therapy of a modified Chinese herbal formula and Western medicine. During a twelve-day period of treatment, her respiratory distress and appetite quickly improved. Abnormal laboratory indicators were resumed in time and lung lesions in CT scan largely absorbed. No side effects associated with this Chinese herbal formula were found. Before discharge, two consecutive nasopharyngeal swabs were shown to be negative for severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).ConclusionsOur case report suggests that collaborative treatments with traditional Chinese medicine prove beneficial in the management of COVID-19 in critically ill patients. In order to give optimal care for this COVID-19 crisis for the whole world, Chinese medicine practitioners and Western medical doctors should work together in frontline.     

Outcome of mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure in patients with pulmonary fibrosis

OBJECTIVE: During the course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients may need invasive mechanical ventilation because of acute respiratory failure. We reviewed the charts of all patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis admitted to our ICU for mechanical ventilation to describe their ICU course and prognosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective, observational case series, from December 1996 to March 2001, in an 18-bed medical ICU in a tertiary university hospital. PATIENTS: Fourteen consecutive patients with idiopathic ( n=11) or secondary ( n=3) pulmonary fibrosis admitted to the medical ICU for mechanical ventilation. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Relevant factors of history and hospital course such as diagnostic and therapeutic interventions were retrieved as well as laboratory and radiological results. All patients were admitted for severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (PaO(2)/FIO(2) 111+/-64 mmHg), with a high clinical suspicion of lower respiratory tract infection. Despite ventilatory support and adjunctive therapies (antibiotics, steroids, or immunosuppressive drugs), all patients gradually worsened and eventually died in the ICU after a mean stay of 7.6+/-4.6 days. CONCLUSIONS: In this study mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure in pulmonary fibrosis patients was associated with a 100% mortality, despite aggressive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.     

Pediatric burn patients with respiratory failure: predictors of outcome with the use of extracorporeal life support

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) for pediatric burn patients is a viable option for respiratory failure that is unresponsive to maximal conventional therapy. No criteria have been identified that are predictive of the success of the use of ECLS for these patients. This article presents a retrospective review of the pediatric burn patients placed on ECLS at a single pediatric medical center. It was found that 12 patients (mean age, 30.3 months; range 6 to 69 months) were placed on ECLS because of profound pulmonary failure that was unresponsive to aggressive ventilatory support. The mean size of the burns of these patients was 50.2% of the total body surface area (average size of full-thickness burns, 41.8% total body surface area), with 6 patients having scald burns and 6 having flame burns. The overall survival was 67% (8 of 12). Nonsurvivors had greater positive end-expiratory pressure, mean airway pressure, peak inspiratory pressure, and oxygenation index before ECLS. It is felt that ECLS is a life-saving therapy for pediatric patients with thermal injury. Greater ventilator requirements before ECLS are associated with nonsurvival. Early institution of ECLS in pediatric burn patients with severe respiratory failure may prevent excessive barotrauma and thus discourage the onset of irreversible lung injury.     

Pharmacokinetics and dosing regimen of meropenem in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous hemofiltration

OBJECTIVE: To study the pharmacokinetics of meropenem in critically ill patients with acute renal failure receiving continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CWHF). DESIGN: Prospective, open-labeled study. SETTING: Medical intensive care unit of the University Medical Center Utrecht. PATIENTS: Five critically ill patients receiving CWHF for acute renal failure treated with meropenem for documented or suspected bacterial infection. INTERVENTION: All patients received meropenem (500 mg) administered intravenously every 12 hrs. Plasma samples and ultrafiltrate aliquots were collected during one dosing interval. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Mean age and body weight of the patients studied were 46.6 yrs (range, 28-61 yrs) and 85.8 kg (range, 70-100 kg), respectively. The following pharmacokinetic variables for meropenem were obtained: mean peak plasma concentration was 24.5 +/- 7.2 mg/L, mean trough plasma concentration was 3.0 +/- 0.9 mg/L, mean terminal elimination half-life was 6.37 +/- 1.96 hrs, mean total plasma clearance was 4.57 +/- 0.89 L/hr, mean CWHF clearance was 1.03 +/- 0.42 L/hr, mean nonrenal clearance was 3.54 +/- 1.06 L/hr, and mean volume of distribution was 0.37 +/- 0.15 L/kg. CONCLUSION: In critically ill patients with acute renal failure, nonrenal clearance became the main elimination route. CWHF substantially contributed to the clearance of meropenem (23% of mean total plasma clearance). We recommend meropenem to be dosed at 500 mg intravenously every 12 hrs in patients receiving CWHF, according to our operational characteristics. This dosing regimen resulted in adequate trough plasma levels for susceptible microorganisms.     

ICU survival of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

The ICU records of 31 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were reviewed. Of 23 (74%) patients admitted for respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation, 20 (87%) patients had Pneumocystis carinii and/or cytomegalovirus pneumonia. Of the eight patients admitted without respiratory failure, five (63%) were monitored after brain biopsy. Respiratory failure patients remained in the ICU for 10 +/- 1 days, compared to 5 +/- 1 days for those without respiratory failure (p less than .05). Overall mortality was 24 patients (77%); 21 (91%) of 23 respiratory failure patients died, compared to three (38%) of the eight without respiratory failure (p less than .01). All seven ICU survivors lived to hospital discharge.     

分层血糖控制对肺部感染并发呼吸衰竭急危重患者预后的影响

目的观察胰岛素泵强化血糖控制对肺部感染并发呼吸衰竭急危重病人预后的影响。方法选择入住急诊重症监护室（EICU）的ApacheⅡ评分〉15分、同时合并高血糖（随机血糖〉11．1mmol／L）的内科危重病人200例,随机分为强化胰岛素治疗（IIT）组和常规治疗（CIT）组（胰岛素泵血糖控制）,其中IIT组和CIT组各包含肺部感染引起的呼吸衰竭31例和33例,观察2组患者呼吸机、抗生素使用天数,近期死亡率（28d内）、入院3d及7d后的APACHEⅡ评分、低血糖发生率,院内感染发生率、住院天数、住院费用等指标。结果IIT和CIT2组年龄、性别构成比、血氧饱和度、氧分压、二氧化碳分压、pH值、血压、呼吸衰竭类型、血糖、炎症指标、电解质、心功能、肝肾功能、空腹C肽、HbA1c、APACHEⅡ评分等指标比较差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）,具有可比性。IIT组院内感染发生率、3d及7d后的APACHEⅡ评分、死亡率、住院天数、呼吸机、抗生素使用天数、住院费用低于CIT组（P〈0．05）;IIT组低血糖发生次数明显高于CIT组（P〈0．01）,但2组严重低血糖发生次数差异无统计学意义（P〉0．0S）。结论严格强化血糖控制对肺部感染并发呼吸衰竭急危重患者可能带来较多益处,并降低近期死亡率。